Association of EGF polymorphism with schizophrenia in Finnish men

Some recent data suggest that epidermal growth factor (EGF) protein levels are altered in the brain of schizophrenic patients. In addition, a novel polymorphism of the EGF gene is associated with enhanced production of EGF in vitro. We conducted a retrospective study to explore the impact of EGF polymorphism on factors associated with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 94 patients with schizophrenia who had either responded to treatment with conventional neuroleptics or who were considered non-responders. The control sample consisted of 98 blood donors. In our sample, the G allele was associated with schizophrenia in male patients (OR = 3.594 (95% CI 1.347-9.591), p = 0.008). The G allele was also associated with a later age at onset in male patients with schizophrenia. However, no association was found between treatment response and EGF polymorphism.